House of Infamy

For "those inquiring minds" who want to keep track of the ongoing saga that began with the Raid on the B.C. Legislature on December 28, 2003.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Good on Ya,Neighbour!

The United States Congress

After months of handwringing, fearmongering and a campaign of lies that would do Dr. Goebbels proud by the greedmongering Insurance Industy, Teabaggers and Republican politicians - Barrack and Nancy managed to squeak a lightweight, imperfect bill to reform healthcare to passage last night in the House of Representatives. Losing the vote would have been disastrous to both the Democratic Party, the President and the ultimate losers the American People. As much of a sell out it is to the still monopoly wielding Insurance Industry, it is a step in the right direction, the opposite direction the BC liaRs, Dr. Brian Day and the usual suspects are trying to force us to travel here in the land that pioneered fair, equal access, public health care in North America.

Perhaps in the next few months the populace will start to understand the real issues, without having to be confused by , John "Armageddon" Boehner, Mitch McConnell, the racist, homophobic and ignorant Teabaggers and the rest of the lying fearmongering status quo defenders of the "Best Health Care" on earth for the RICH. Hopefully we won't have to see or hear them as they will be hiding out from the "death panels" which will (hopefully) be deployed the instant Barrack Obama signs the bill. After all, those death panels have to start somewhere and where better than with the people (?) who have been warning everyone about how some bureaucraat would decide whether grandma lives or dies. (Isn't that what Health Insurance executives do already, based on bottomline, rather than health or the patient's interests?

Michael Moore in his own imitable manner wrote to the Repugnant Party members.

To My Fellow Citizens, the Republicans:

Thanks to last night's vote, that child of yours who has had asthma since birth will now be covered after suffering for her first nine years as an American child with a pre-existing condition.

Thanks to last night's vote, that 23-year-old of yours who will be hit one day by a drunk driver and spend six months recovering in the hospital will now not go bankrupt because you will be able to keep him on your insurance policy.

Thanks to last night's vote, after your cancer returns for the third time -- racking up another $200,000 in costs to keep you alive -- your insurance company will have to commit a criminal act if they even think of dropping you from their rolls.(my bold)

For another early analysis of the historic vote (and lead-up) check out Nobel Economist, Paul Krugman's Fear Strikes Out,which ends:

Without question, the campaign of fear was effective: health reform went from being highly popular to wide disapproval, although the numbers have been improving lately. But the question was, would it actually be enough to block reform?

And the answer is no. The Democrats have done it. The House has passed the Senate version of health reform, and an improved version will be achieved through reconciliation.

This is, of course, a political victory for President Obama, and a triumph for Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker. But it is also a victory for America’s soul. In the end, a vicious, unprincipled fear offensive failed to block reform. This time, fear struck out.

Ding Dong Obfuscates!

Almanac (CBC Radio 1) hosted a call in with Attorney-General Mike DeJong to discuss the notion of cameras in the court room a few minutes ago. Ding Dong spewed the expected "The Justice System should be Transparent" and ours would certainly stand up to scrutiny. But oh golly gee, we just don't have any money to improve either access to justice for people with issues or access to proceedings themselves (other than personal attendence). The very last caller, with almost NO TIME LEFT, specifically suggested that the BC Rail Trial (starting May 3-well maybe) be held in the Air India courtroom which is ALREADY all wired and set up for video broadcast - something that has been brought up more than once at BC Mary's Legislature Raids.

Ding Dong managed to avoid the slightest acknowledgement of the specific trial (which AFTER ALL WAS THE QUESTION), without even having to resort to StoneWally's old tired "It's before the courts." He just regurgitated that the caller knew where his (DeJong's) feelings lie (double entendre alert), and just in case he hadn't succeeded in obfuscating enough on his own the host rhetorically asked if there was enough time before May 3 to set this up.

The caller already said the courtroom was ready to go, I think one can flip a few switches to get the system up and running in a month and a half..........

Friday, March 19, 2010

BCers Don't Need no Surgery,We Fine!

Searching for signs of IntellegenceIN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

It really is almost impossible to keep up with the complete bullshit that comes from the mouths of Herr Gordon Campbell and his inner circle of Jerks. Of course a simultaneous mass attack on everything is a strategy they use to their advantage on a regular basis. Even the part of the populace that hasn't succumbed to a Canned Waste/Glow Ball TeeVee stupor, can hardly swivel their necks fast enough to keep abreast of the ongoing theft of BC and mind-boggling breachs of the public trust.

Just in recent days they've announced more new policies than I can even list from the merely irritating, to the costly (charging me higher rates, for often reduced services), to the outright stunning. In the stunning category, the BC liaRs have announced that they intend to REWRITE the century old Water Act, and that can't be good for water users in BC, though it could be a windfall for the two hundred folks who actually go watch the Phoenix Coyotes home games in person. Gordo has appointed a new "Green Energy Czar" to co-ordinate the pillaging of the rivers and robbery of native bands. In league with his (wink, wink - they are supposed to be opposing parties remember) buddy St. Stephen, the drive is on to reduce the already inadequate environmental review proces for energy projects if it can be said, no matter how inaccurately that they are GREEN. Of course with that pesky review out of the way, how would anyboy know if a project is green - apparently all Gordo or Stevie has to do is tell us that it is - kinda like how Dickhead Cheney and his sock puppet Dub could decide who is a Terra-Guy, eligible for torture.

Perhaps the most stunning for its complete lack of even a pretense of logic is Kevin Falcon's campaign to turn British Columbia into a destination resort for medical tourists. According to the Vancouver Stun, interestingly (or revealingly) this article was in the Travel section, perhaps this gov's bud's at CanWest are past the policy questions and trying to attract business ALREADY).

Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon is looking at ways to woo out-of-province patients looking for surgeries or other procedures into B.C. hospitals so he can charge a premium and generate more revenue for the system.

"Why can't British Columbia be the Mayo Clinic of the North?" Falcon asked Tuesday.

Well first off, Kev, you might have to have discussions with the REAL Mayo Clinic, which is itself fairly far north, about USING THEIR BRAND. Do you intend to purchase a franchise, or just outsource the whole enchilada?

"We know that every year several hundred thousand Americans travel outside of America and spend billions of dollars on their health care," he added, saying under the plan B.C. would charge a premium for the procedures.

The rich ones go where ever the treatment options are best, no matter the cost. Most Americans go to where health care that they can afford is ACTUALLY ACCESSIBLE and so cheap and in a location, for example Thailand, where they can even afford to take some beach time during recovery. They aren't likely to come to a place that has not only the same climate, but the same costs - or more (remember you are gonna charge these folks a PREMIUM). Other than high end "medical tourism" ala Mayo Clinic (Danny Williams style) most medical tourism destinations are countries where the surgeons and nurses are paid FAR LESS than anywhere in North America, other than Mexico, which surprisingly does benefit from Medical Tourism and Dental Tourism.

"Why can't we take the best surgeons that we have -- and they are some of the best in the world -- some of the best facilities we've got, and see whether there's a possibility we can generate revenues for the benefit of British Columbians?"

That would be just fine, Birdbrain, once British Columbians have been "benefitted" by having THEIR OWN HEALTH NEEDS ATTEMDED TO!

I heard Kev on the radio the other day promoting this insanity and he kept repeating that we could provide this service because patients in BC were doing so well, that outcomes, waiting times and all other indicators were the best in Canada. Well Kev, I live in the sticks and don't get out much, but just the people I run into and interact with, include enough folks waiting for a new hip, knee replacement, diagnostic procedures, basically anything other than blood and gore emergencies - have already put in and look forward to waiting times that added together might get into three figures.

I might mention to that the people I see in their second or third year of waiting for anything they aren't guaranteed to die from next week, are served by the Kootenay Region of the Inferior Health Authority. This is the same health management district that plans to cut the operating capacity at Kootenay Boundary Regioal by 25% and lay-off nurses, recruited from out of province recently and cut back on surgeons operating time. We NEED this cuts because according to Kevin, and his mouthpiece with the IHA in Warfield, OUR WAITING TIMES ARE TOO SHORT when compared to the provincial average (in ONE CHERRYPICKED category). How many years are enough - to wait for a new hip, shoulder or knee?

While he claims that waiting lines in other provinces would provide BC facilities with all the business we could handle (While BCers wait?). He would....

.....not go into detail on exactly how much more he thinks B.C. can charge such patients, and a ministry official said no official policy has been determined on the issue.

Well this might answer your question Birdbrain:

Documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show the idea for B.C. to sell surgeries to Saskatchewan began during a discussion between Premier Gordon Campbell and Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall. The negotiations ultimately failed, with Saskatchewan balking at the idea of having to pay a premium for procedures here.

This is nothing more than part of the ongoing attempt to undermine our public health system and pave the way for Private Medicine, the system that works so well down in the USA (as long as you are either rich or healthy). A provincial health system willing to pay MORE for the same service (which would require a provincial government that cared about its citizens for starters) is no different than a well heeled individual cutting to the front of the line - American style. That unused capacity Kevin Falcon refers to are operating rooms and entire wards (and entire hospitals) closed permanently or or part-time do to lack of funding for staff. Unless the doctors succeed in paying their own O.R. nurses in Trail at Kootenay Regional Hospital, the Falcon will have gained yet more "un-utilized" capacity to sell to whomever the perhaps imaginary out of province customers. Even if this absurd experiment doesn't prove profitable, it will still contribute to the increasing level of disatisfaction with the health care system as it is and make the agenda of this government and its ally, Dr. Brian Day, more palatable.

Only somewhere down Alice's rabbit hole is a universe where allowing medical tourists with fat wallets cut in line shorten waiting times for access to the same amount of resources.

Meanwhile - Surgeons Discover Something.

Items removed (immediately above) during procedure pictured at top of post will be forwarded to the Real Mayo Clinic. Preliminary examination would suggest a dead bird and an unused "green power" turbine/device. Some are convinced that the fact that the bird has died may help explain some previously inexplicable brain farts from the Minister of Various Important Stuff!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

St. Stephenon the Mount

Stephen Harper lost out to his good buddy, Gordon "Kermit" Campbell and missed the opportunity to cast himself in the role of patron saint of the environment. His man crush on the Tar Sands also made it awkward for Stevie to aspire to be the king of green.

Now the brain trust has ironically decided St. Stephen will be the saviour of women and children in poverty. Rights for women, women's health, including maternal/reproductive health are all going to benefit from Harper's newly declared war on wimmen's problems.

There are notable disclaimers however, in Harper's War on women's problems.

1. The women and children must not be in Canada, especially northern or rural Canada (or downstream from the Athabasca Goo Sands).

2. No contraception, no condoms, no family planning, no birth/disease control and NO ABORTIONS.

3. No uppity women, unless they are Reformatory cabinet ministers AND it is their birthday!!!

Did smoke puffs appear from the Vatican when I wasn't looking and Bishop Cannon and his cronies have named the new Pope Stephen?

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Harper isSooooooooooooHIP!

Mr. Pichette. and Mr. Harper about to watch some Stephen on the flat screen.

After the Lamestream Media gave fuzzy warm Stevie Harper rave reviews for playing a Paul McCartney song (did he obtain "permission" for public performance from Sir Paul the estate of Michael Jackson?)on YouTube, how could the micromanager not try again to circumvent the "media filter" and reach the "people" with his response to the Throne Speech? Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Throne Speech kinda actually FROM St. Stephen himself, at least as long as he is pretending to be Prime Minister? I know he sits in a chair and basks in his own bullshit while the GG, who always accepts notes from Stevie's parents excusing him from Parliament, reads the speech. However, doesn't Stevie either write the speech hisself, or hire people to do that for him while he uses a lint brush on his sweater vest?

It's one thing to gain some popularity with the low forehead crowd by humanizing yourself by competing on YouTube with cats walking on the ivories. But putting out the call for questions, questions of substance, and then showing the same lack of willingness to answer them as you exhibit in the House of Parliament or the rare press scrum you don't manage to avoid by sneaking out the back, is hardly a public relations coup.

I wonder if Mr. Harper and his brain trust in the PMO were surprised by the direct nature and the areas of concern by the generation, generally even younger than the PM and his gang, that compose the YouTube contituency. He is undoubtably aware that his performance would have appeared even more lame, if his questioners had been present to either ask follow-up questions or point out that he had avoided answering the question that had been asked. Replying to questions about the Afghani detainee issue according to the Toronto Star he went into the normal "Support the Troops crap:

Some of the questions chosen by Google were tough ones, including one person who asked why every question about Afghan detainees - particularly about their potential mistreatment after being handed over by Canadian soldiers - was treated by the government as an attack on the troops.

Harper said he didn’t accept the premise of the question and said he was trying to “compromise” in having Afghan-detainee documents reviewed by former Supreme Court justice Frank Iaccobucci. But then he also implied - almost proving the questioner’s point - that the forces’ reputation was being impugned by the controversy.

He shouldn't have been surprised that the issue which the most questioners wanted answers to was the legal status of marijuana. Once again he had to conflate marijuana and all drugs and all evil to defend his indefensible postion. Indeed, if he reads the demographic writing on the wall he would immediately do a 180 on his policies, but he knows that would alienate his Canadian Taliban base. Some would claim this is a sign of integrity, but I see it as a sign that he realizes his remaining ideological paralysis on multiple issues would still alienate those he might satisfy with a sane, rational drug policy.

“The reason drugs are illegal is because they are bad,” Harper said. “And even if these things were legalized, I can predict with a lot of confidence that these would never be respectable businesses run by respectable people.”

The Prime Minister said that while people may argue there’s nothing criminal about the casual use of marijuana and some other drugs, it’s the drug trade and the drug business that concerns him.

“When people are buying from the drug trade, they are not buying from their neighbour. They are buying from international cartels that are involved in unimaginable violence and intimidation and social disaster and catastrophe all across the world.”

He also made clear that this feeling was strongly personal - when it came to himself and his children.

It's funny how bootleggers like some mucky-muck Canadian first families and the Kennedy's in the USA, became completely respectable once the perverted experiment of prohibition came to an end AND Chicago quit providing fodder for episodes of the Untouchables. "He also made it clear that this felling was strongly personal," well, some people feel that his desire to incarcerate people for possession, cultivation and use of an herb that grows wild and indeed is hard to eradicate once established is PERSONAL.

Most people today don't realize that up until William Randolph Hearst and the early 20th century marijuana was neither prohibited, nor used that much except by certain segments of society who had an exposure to it. Even cocaine and opiates were freely available in many cases OVER THE COUNTER, yet drug use was much less than today, and much less of a problem to society as a whole. Of course the rampant availability kinda eliminated the "black market" opportunities and the attraction of the forbidden. The most obvious FACT is that the current approach not only doesn't work, but exacerbates the problems while CERTAIN individuals reap enormous profits - that extend beyond the gangs into law enforcement, government AND the justice system.

It's too bad that the questioner didn't toss some of the more amusing questions at not so Little Steven. Questions such as:

can you explain how selling our Natural Resources is good for Canadians?

why is the quality? of this video so shitty?

WHAT'S YOUR HAIR MADE OF??

I think the prime minister should invest in? a steady cam and a better mic for his youtube rep... c'mon.

I think I have a way to cut the deficit ...? stop making Canadians pay for your makeup PM. You want to look the way you do - do it on your own darn dime.

This guy sounds like he just gargled a bucket of? (answered by questioner - but censored by koot)

Thanks to the Galloping Beaver for sifting through the kimberlyte for some diamonds.

It is very telling that Mr. Harper is totally dedicated to "science" to support the votes from Atlantic Canada seal hunt, yet refuse to even consider reviewing drug policy because he personally (and his pastor, and his base) think“The reason drugs are illegal is because they are bad."

For a transcript of the complete YouTube Interview/Video Op, seguing from French to English and back click here. Transcript

More Re-Guergistation

After my post regarding the Duo of Dumbass yesterday it was a blast to go over to the Beaver today and find that they have discovered more MBA mysteries regarding whether or not Helena herself has, is working on acquiring, or just lying about being the holder of the credential no self respecting white collar criminal can do without.

Blogger A BCer in Toronto today posted an item regarding a claim on embattled Minister Helena Guergis’s official website that she holds an MBA from the University of Alberta. Apparently last year a community paper looked into the matter and after a little pressing a Guergis staffer testily admitted the Minister of State for Status of Women has “put on hold” her “aspirations” to attain a graduate degree.

Considering that as a cabinet minister (albeit a minor one for an inferior (re:women in Harper World) file)she is employed by us, the voters. As her employers, we really have the right to know if she is telling the truth on her resume or web-site. I know, truth, Harper, PseudoCons and ReformaTories - Cognitive Dissonance to the Nth!

Since we're back on the Couple from Hell(ena)- it is only fitting to include what is purported to be a wedding picture of the couple who can't seem to drive, stomp or talk straight.

I've been to many informal weddings, including my own, but I've never been to one where the groom appeared to be wearing a neoprene wetsuit top and the bride a Stanfield Underwear Top of the sort once favored by coast loggers - back when there were coast loggers.

The Sound of a Birdbrain Tweeting!

Now I have to listen to Kevin "Birdbrain" Falcon as he explains how attracting medical tourists will shorten wait times for British Columbians and why Kootenay Regional Hospital should be penalized for surpassing the performance of other facilities in the province. Falcon sees medical tourists as utilizing "under-utilized capacity" which begs the question of why British Columbians on wait lists aren't utilizing this same "under-utilized capacity."

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The OtherHouse of Infamy

The Clown Prince and Princessof theReformatories

Perhaps the biggest fan of the PseudoTory power couple of Rahim Jaffer and Helena "It's My Birthday, and I'll Screech and Stomp if I Want To" Guergis is Maxime Bernier. His practice of storing government papers at the home of his (a)Mafia Moll or (b)Biker Chick girlfriend seems almost quaint in retrospect. Indeed, he could even argue that the aura of Julie's former associates lingering about the premises would protect the most sensitive of documents, especially from the clutches of those opposition MPs who after all only took a loyalty oath to the Queen and Canada, but may have had their fingers crossed behind their backs.

But as the "Tough on Crime" Conscammers pretending to govern in Ottawa today repeatedly make obvious, and the voters of Maxime's riding in Quebec made clear during the last sparsely participated in election, Reformatories answer to a higher authority - THEMSELVES and St. Stephen Harper.

Blogging Tories and slimey unemployed wannabe journalists in the Con Camp have been working overtime. They try to claim that anyone who thought Rahim may have benefitted from some favoritism when charges of impaired driving and possession of cocaine mysteriously turned into a traffic infraction are wearing more tin-foil than 9-11 "truthers" or those who won't deny climate change. However, even in BC, the province where justice up and left, the police, crown and courts at least explained (or have tried to do so) their (faulty) reasoning for not pursuing impaired causing death (or even impaired) charges against Mountie Monty Robinson, who just by chance seems to "accidentally" or justifiably KILL someone annually. So maybe the white powder was the "fruit" of a poison tree, illegal search - but hey, was the breathalyzer broken as well - or not calibrated recently enough? And the Blogging Tory Types who try to imply that since Rahim is no longer an MP, that any political connections he ever had (including a cabinet minister wife) ceased to exist once he lost his seat are assuming the sheeple are even dumber than they are.

Of course Rahim Jaffer is way past his expiry date as a PsuedoCon politician, but that is for committing the most egregious sin imaginable in Reform/Alliance/Wildrose/Canadian Taliban circles - losing a seat to the commie hordes of the NDP in ALBERTA! Besides as Rahim patiently pointed out, over and over and over again in response to being excluded from seeking the nomination for the seat he lost for Stevie, he is busy, thinking about producing and raising a family, after he finishes completing his MBA. I did mention the MBA, didn't I, he mentioned it repeatedly, so I figure it must be important. If you see Rahim be sure to ask "how's it going with the MBA?" - the modern day must have credential for white collar criminals from Wall Street, to Bay Sreet to Howe Street?

But Rahim's case is pretty much business as usual, and not even peculiar to the Cons, although with their Old Testament style Law and Order agenda, it seems even more absurd when they ignore bad and/or criminal behaviour than if Taliban Jack or Just Visiting Iggy were to do the same.

As Rick Mercer, the real deal in political punditry from the Rock (sorry Rex), will mention in his weekly much anticipated rant tonight: With St Stephen and the Knights from the Calgary School of Economics, "it ain't so much what you know, but who you know in the PMO"

Now Mrs. Jaffer or Helena Guergis, that's an even more entertaining and, for the Refromatories, perplexing issue. I mean, Hel(l on wheels)ena is not only a sitting MP, but a cabinet minister as well, though a junior one. She is the Minister for Women after all, it would have to be a junior ministry, as in the Catechism according to St. Stephen women are the JUNIOR GENDER.

Amazing as it is(n't) that Helena still has her post, even more amazing is the fact that some on the Con Game side of the aisle are grumbling that MAYBE she should resign. Recently she has been depending on a surprisingly froth free, weary looking defense from the usually rabid spit missile launching Minister of - something more important - Transport, which includes airports.

But Helena provides evidence that she has lost touch with reality when she issues a threat (Threat to sue does little good...) to SUE airport employees for libel, for reporting on her childish display - a display that would probably have gotten most of us tasered and incarcerated if not renditioned to a torture friendly jurisdiction.

For a real laugh check out Helena Guergis deserves a medal by Kelly McParland, who while adding a weird bolded disclaimer at the end, seems to indicate it really isn't a parody, but reflects his actual reasoning (sic).

Thank you Helena Guergis. Thank you for acting like a normal human being up against the blank stare of pointless government harassment. Thanks for doing what we'd all like to do, standing up for a bit of common sense. I bet you don't find much of it in Ottawa.

If I had a medal I'd send it to you. Gold.

Now the Reich Wing wankers say that racial profiling would solve the inconvenience, at least for all of us of the proper racial/ethnic persuasion. After all, Ms. Gurgitating Bile is a not un-attractive "white" "well dressed" (I guess well-mannered is out) woman, AND The decry the security staff at the airport for putting a cabinet minister (tho a minor post) - and thus should be spared the harsh treatment the rest of us are expected to tolerate. But hold on a minute, that is just a typical response from the hang-em high, immediate re-tributionn for whatever crowd. Who decides who is guilty - ON THE SPOT? What if the airport personel didn't happen to recognize Ms. Guergis, no matter how impotent she may think she is, some people wouldn't recognize Stephen Harper's face on a dart-board. Even after she possibly produced ID, showing how truly important and entitled she truly is, HOW DO THEY KNOW THE ID ISN"T FAKE?

Shut up Helena,and take off your fucking shoes, oh yeah get to the fucking airport on time, (by on time I mean however EARLY they recommend - otherwise YOU are late), like the rest of us. If that don't work for you fly on chartered or private flights, they have special provisions for the TRULY entitled who board their own (leased/rented/chartered) plane and in their own private hangar/boarding area.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Fleet StreetComes A-Calling!

Vancouver Sun - Friday, January 2, 2004

One often touted aspect of the 2010 Olympics has been the attention it would generate for British Columbia and Vancouver around the world, and from the global media. Well judging from the traffic stats at the House lately, that is true, as visitors from various media organizations, from Toronto to Moscow, but particularly the UK press have been leaving tracks in my back room. Unfortunately perhaps for Herr Gordo Campbell and his acolytes - the ink-stained wretches of Fleet Street seem very interested in subjects such as the posting which was illustrated with this infamous Vancouver Sun front-page.

Even though Anne MacKenzie has added her publication ban to the CanWest policy of ignore the trial and it will go away, I am heartened to think of actual journalists in London pondering the 27 questions that issue of the Sun posed, questions which for the most part have still hardly been addressed, much less answered these six years later and counting. If anything the number of unanswered, but troubling, questions have multiplied since the first issue of the Vancouver S(t)un for 2004 hit the streets. Go here for the posting from last fall and a list of the original 27 Questions for British Columbians.

Considering that the National Enquirer has just been nominated for a Pulitzer prize for digging into the marital duplicity of former Senator John Edwards, is it too much to think some American or British journalist may wonder about the exact nature of Lara Dauphinee's duties when it comes to "serving" our great leader Lord Gord? Perhaps the arresting officer from that famous drunken Gordo going all Wowie Maui incident wouldn't be that difficult to locate and could clear up any confusion about who else was in the erratic, veering, lane changing car that night. Then there is the other guy(s) in the drunk tank that night with our great example of leadership and class.

Who knows, foreign media outlets may even already have unpublished photos in their files that actually have Lara Dauphinee IN the picture, not just listed as not present for the shoot, as such group pictures of international events published by CanWest and other media that live in Gordo's pocket. Then again, maybe Lara works undercover for CSIS and cameras are confiscated from photogs who deign to threaten national security by capturing her image. During the election last May, photos were scrubbed from the internet (anywhere that the hard-working PABlum Brigade could access) of our little Lara, as soon as they were located and pointed out.

Even with a publication ban on the show trial of the fall guys (Basi,Basi and Virk), anyone who cares about BC, could still write, e-mail or phone the Guardian, Virgin Media, the BBC, various US media and such - especially in jurisdictions that deal with BC for power and other resources - real reporters appreciate good leads. The American and European media may not be too concerned with scandals in some former colony in Africa or Asia, but Canada, now that's a member of the family, and member of the co-alition - believe it or not - Canada Matters!

Dare we hope that times are still economically bad enough that no one will be able to buy the Canned Waste Empire of Evil as one or two big pieces? What a chance for real journalism to actually exist it would be if many of the papers were purchased individually and locally. Imagine a British Columbia that actually had two or three DIFFERENT daily papers, that actually competed with each other for scoops, rather than colluding in deciding which news to ignore or embargo.